What Really Matters
by stuckbeingrachel
Summary: [Mara Jaffray thought that she had everything she ever wanted. But when Christmas is mere days away and she didn't even notice, her life is suddenly turned upside down. She's thrown into her own unknown future and she finds herself the wife of a young handsome business man and the mother of two children.] R&R? Jara multi-chapter! Part 7 8 9 10 11 & 12 of the 12 Days of Christmas!
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, this story will be six parts- the rest of the 12 Days of Christmas. I got the idea from a Hallmark movie that I can't remember the name of. So if it rings any bells, could you PM me or review? Thank you! :)**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Mara Jaffray slung her purse over her shoulder, sipping from her cup of coffee, cell phone pressed to her ear as she jogged up the steps of the twenty-five story building ahead of her. "Yeah, okay, I'll get those numbers to you this weekend."

"Don't be late." Her boss warned sternly on the other line.

"I won't, promise." She replied, hanging up without a goodbye and hurrying through the lobby. She barely acknowledged the kind old lady that sat behind the front desk and summoned the elevator, tapping her foot impatiently. When the elevator arrived seconds later, she stepped on and pressed the button for floor twenty-four.

When her phone rang, she answered it expertly, watching the floor number change over the doors of the lift.

"Hey, Mars," greeted Joy Rutter, her best friend. Mara couldn't begin to try to understand how Joy could be so happy when she cooked and cleaned all day long, screaming kids running around her. She must get so many headaches.

"Hey, Joy, what's up?"

"Are you busy?"

"Not yet, why?" she said, trashing her empty coffee cup, stepping off the lift. She rounded the corner to the left and then took a right, entering her office and setting her bag on the table next to the door. She slipped off the jacket of her black pantsuit and sat at her desk. Her phone still pressed to her ear, barely listening to Joy speak, she logged onto her computer and began working.

"Do you think you can do that?"

"Wait, what?" Mara stopped, fingers pausing on the computer keyboard.

Before Joy could answer, two screams could be heard in the background. "I gotta call you back. Think about it."

Mara pulled the phone away from her ear and stared at it for second before looking back at the computer screen. "What am I supposed to be thinking about?"

She glanced up briefly when someone knocked on the door and she nodded, admitting Fabian Rutter. He was Joy's husband.

"Hi, Mara, here are those documents you asked for last night."

"Thank you, but why didn't you have Nate bring them up?" she wondered, back spacing and then typing again.

"I wanted to talk to you for a second, if you have a moment." His blue eyes glanced at the computer, then at the documents, and then back to her.

She met his eyes and nodded. "I've got a second, what's up?"

"Do you want to come over to the house for Christmas Eve?" he questioned, sitting down in one of the chairs in front of her desk.

"I'd love to, but—"

"—you're working." He finished with a sad smile. "Have you ever thought about slowing down and taking some time off?"

"Who has time for that?" she scoffed, shuffling through the papers he had brought in.

"Everyone deserves a break and a little bit of happiness, Mara." He pointed out.

"But I am happy." She retorted, typing on her computer once more.

"Okay, I understand." He nodded and stood up. "I'll see you later. But think about it, alright?"

"Wait, Fabian," she stopped him. "Do you know what Joy might need my help with?"

He cocked his head, thinking. "She did say something about needing to ask you for your help to save the park down the street. It's going to be torn down and replaced with a strip mall. Why?"

"Just wondering." She smiled and he left. She looked back at the papers. "Who cares about playground?"

* * *

Mara climbed into her car and started the engine, steering out of the parking lot. She drove down the familiar street to her apartment building, silently. She looked over all the lights hanging in shop windows and on houses before grabbing her phone as it started to ring. She answered it quickly, bringing it to her ear.

"Miss Jaffray, I found those records you needed from Mr. Rutter." Fabian's intern, Nate, told her

"Thank you, just put them on my—" she slammed her foot down on the break when a young woman stepped into the middle of the street.

"Miss Jaffray, are you okay?"

"I have to call you back, Nate." She said quickly, hurrying out of her car. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine; are you okay?" the woman asked worriedly. Her strawberry-blonde hair was tied in two ponytail-braids and her green eyes sparkled with concern.

"Yes, of course, I'm okay. Why did you step in front of my car?" Mara demanded.

"To get you to stop. I'm Willow." She smiled sweetly, holding out her hand.

"Mara—"

"I know."

Mara's brown eyes flitted around the street and then back to Willow. "Why did you want me to stop?"

"I wanted to ask you if you were happy." She replied, cocking her head.

"Of course," Mara shrugged.

"No, you're not." she commented. "I think you need something."

"What?" Mara chuckled, running a hand through her black hair, slightly unnerved by this strange woman.

"I know." She snapped fingers. "Have fun."

Without another word, Willow skipped around Mara and continued on her way across the street. Mara took no time to watch her. She hurried back to her car and climbed back in. She pulled into the parking lot of her apartment building and slipped out, taking the elevator to the third floor. She unlocked her door and headed straight for the kitchen table, spreading out the work she had brought home. She opened the refrigerator and took out a carton of left over pasta from the restaurant she had eaten at with some of her colleagues the other night. She warmed it in the microwave and sat at the table, beginning her work.

A few hours later, with only a few more numbers to calculate, she decided to get some sleep as the clock neared midnight. She took a quick shower and changed into her pajamas, sliding into bed her bed and switching off her beside lamp.

* * *

The next morning, she awoke and sat up, stretching. She took a deep breath and got up. She trudged to the hallway, ignoring everything she passed as she made her way down the stairs and to the kitchen. She sluggishly made a coffee and took a sip, instantly relaxing and waking up. She turned around and gaped in shock.

Where was she?

This wasn't her apartment. Her apartment didn't have steps. Her apartment didn't have children's paintings hanging on the walls and the refrigerator. These weren't her pajamas. Her pajamas were gray; these were purple. This wasn't her normal coffee mug; this one said _World's Greatest Mum._

She gasped, spinning around to the sink and setting the mug down in shock. What was going on?

She heard running footsteps on the second floor of the house and turned quickly when two children ran down the steps. Who were they?

"Hey, mum, what's for breakfast?" the ten year old boy grinned, hopping up onto the counter barstool next to his eight year old sister.

The boy had shaggy blonde hair and bright blue eyes. And his sister looked just like Mara when she was that age; curly, unruly black hair and big brown, doe eyes.

They watched her expectantly and then the little girl leaned closer to her brother, whispering under her breath. "Do you think she's sick? Should we call dad?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Maddy; she would have called him already." He shrugged.

"But…she looks kind of pale, Caleb. Maybe we should go tell Auntie Joy."

Caleb stood up and walked over to his mother, putting a hand on her forehead jokingly. She had always done it to him. "Are you okay, mum? I'll make breakfast for us."

"Yeah, you do that. I'll be back."

Caleb nodded and went over to the pantry, pulling one of the kitchen table chairs with him so he could reach the cereal. As Mara dashed out of the room, Maddy watched her with concern. Mara checked the first door on the right and found the bathroom. She closed and locked the door, switching on the lights.

What was happening?

* * *

**Review?**

**"I'm half remembered half-way across the world; twice removed from my second home. The shadow of a ghost in an old horn with a lease on life 'cause I can't afford to own."**

**-Rachel**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you for the reviews, sweets! Here's the next part of 12 Days of Christmas! :)**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Mara ran her hands through her tangled hair and looked in the mirror. She looked just like she did when she went to bed the night before, only scared, her eyes wide and cautious. She didn't know what was going on. She took a moment to think back on the day before. She hadn't done anything out of the ordinary. It was just like every other day she's lived for the past six years. But know she's suddenly a mother of two children? And Joy knew? Who was the father of these kids? Were they married?

She looked down at her hand and sure enough, a wedding ring was slipped on her ring finger. She gasped, staring at it. It was real. How did this—

"Willow…" she whispered in shock. She covered her mouth with her hands. "Willow must have done this. That was the only strange thing – unless I'm dreaming." She pinched her arm, several times, before she huffed, giving up. She wasn't dreaming. She was really married and she really had kids. "I need to find that Willow girl."

She left the bathroom and looked around the hall. On the wall in front of her, there was a picture of her with Caleb and Maddy and a man. They were lying in a pile of leaves, Caleb on Mara's back and Maddy on the man's back, and Mara and the man's hands were intertwined. She took the picture of the wall and unhooked the back to the frame, knowing that if this was really her life, then she must have labeled the picture. She always labeled. Everything.

"'Jerome, Mara, Caleb and Maddy Clarke, Halloween Day."' she read out loud. She breathed out slowly and put the picture back, walking back to the kitchen slowly. Maddy and Caleb were her children. Jerome Clarke was her husband. Her name was Mara Clarke. She could act normal until she found Willow. Right?

"Hey, Mars, you alright?"

Mara looked over at Joy at the counter with Caleb and Maddy. At least she was normal.

"Joy!" she ran for her best friend and tackled her in a rib crushing hug.

Joy laughed and hugged her back. "Are you okay? You're acting like you haven't seen me in years and I was over here last night."

Mara pulled back and opened her mouth to reply but Maddy beat her to it.

"See, she's acting weird. I think we should called daddy."

"We don't have to call your dad." Joy shook her head and slung her purse over her shoulder. "Here, I'll take the kids to school and you get some rest, okay? I'll call you later."

"Thank you," Mara breathed and watched them leave the house. She hurried upstairs and back to the bedroom she had woken up in. She went straight for the walk-in closet and turned to the right side where woman's cloths hung, the other side had a man's wardrobe. She shifted through each piece and scrunched her eyebrows. Where were the pantsuits?

Finally, she settled on a purple blouse and gray jeans with black flats and her mother's pearls, which surprisingly had been in her jewelry box.

She zipped down the stairs and grabbed the keys on the wrack by the wall while grabbed a black jacket and hurried out to the minivan in her driveway. She climbed in and pulled out onto the street. She was familiar with this neighborhood. Joy lived in the house next to this one; she could get out of here and into town easily. It was finding that girl that was going to be the hard part.

* * *

Mara rested her head against the steering wheel in exhaustion. She hadn't found Willow for hours. She decided to go get a coffee and pulled out of the grocery store parking lot. When she drove out of the drive through of the coffee shop, her eyes caught a glimpse of strawberry-blonde hair pulled into braids. She instantly looked at the girl walking out of the shop and pulled her car to a stop by the curb.

"Willow!" she called, running up to her.

"Oh, hi, Mara, how are you doing?" she grinned happily, clutching a cup of steaming coffee in her hands.

"What do you mean 'how am I doing'? How do you think? I woke up this morning in another universe. Give me back my old life! Please!"

"Do you really want that? Are you sure? You don't even know what this life is like yet."

Mara hesitated for second. "Yes, I do. You work 24/7, taking care of screaming kids; cooking meals; cleaning every room in the house all the time; doing chores—"

"—and loving every moment!"

"Willow, please,"

"I'm sorry, I would if I could. I'm not allowed to send you back to your old life until Christmas Eve."

"But…"

"Listen, Mara, let me explain what I'm doing here. This is the life that you could have if you play your cards right, okay? Back in your other life, you just got a promotion and you've been working at the company for six years. When you met your husband, you eventually just dropped everything with work because you two wanted a family. This is still your life – just the future of it, if you—"

"Play my cards right," Mara finished with a long sigh.

"I'll find you on Christmas Eve and then I'll send you back. Bye!" she giggled and waving, running off again.

It was a week until Christmas Eve. She could last until then.

* * *

Mara walked into the house and looked around. To the left was a dining room and on the right was the living room. She collapsed on the sofa and closed her eyes tiredly. Right as she began to drift off to sleep, something soft and warm landed on her lips gently. She gasped and pushed the person away.

Sitting up straight, she looked up at the man. He was the man in the picture. Jerome Clarke. He was her husband. That's why he had kissed her.

"Wow, never got that reaction out of you before." he laughed, running a hand through his dirty-blonde hair.

Mara gazed up at him in shock for a moment. She hadn't really paid attention to his picture, but he was a handsome man. She couldn't believe she had married such a stunning man. His blue eyes sparkled as they watched her and his pale skin was emphasized by the black waistcoat he wore. He slid out of it and tossed it onto the chair next to him before sitting next to her on the sofa.

She licked her lips, following his every move. What was he like?

"Usually you go weak in the knees and beg me for more; practically falling to my feet. Here, let me redeem myself." He grinned as he leaned back into her. She resisted a little – after all, she didn't even know this man – but she had to be normal.

He pressed his lips against hers again and cupped her neck with his hand, bringing her closer to him. Mara couldn't believe it, but butterflies fluttered in her stomach and her heart rate accelerated. Did that happen to him?

He pulled away and chucked her under the chin gently. "Now that's a kiss." He winked. He took her hand and threaded their fingers together as he brought the back of her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to it. "What's for dinner?"

"Um, I don't know."

"My Mara doesn't know what to do?" he exclaimed in fake shock. She gasped instantly and pushed his shoulder jokingly. He laughed. Mara was surprised at herself. That had come naturally. Did she love him? No. She just met him.

"I just didn't feel well this morning. I haven't done much." She shrugged sheepishly. Usually, she would have done days of work by now.

"Why didn't you call me? I could have taken off." he said softly.

"No, I'm okay now. Maddy wanted to call you though."

"Well, that's just like Maddy; our little worrier." He chuckled, pulling her hand as he stood up. "How about pork chops and potatoes for dinner?" he suggested, leading her to the kitchen.

"My mums?"

"Obviously," he scoffed with a roll of his eyes. "Let me help you and we'll get it done by the time the kids get home. Tonight they're going over to Poppy's for a sleepover with the 'world's greatest aunt'! I don't get it." he muttered, shaking his head. "We can do some last minute Christmas shopping while they're gone."

"Sounds good," she forced a quick smile and turned to the pantry. She hadn't made her mother's pork chops in a while, but she could remember the recipe.

* * *

Jerome leaned against the cart and nodded. "I think that's it. Do we need to get anything else?"

Mara looked around. Everything looked like it did in her other life. How odd. She couldn't believe that this was a future she could have. But she didn't love this man. She couldn't remember the last time she had even been on a date, or found a man even mildly attractive. Her mind was always in her work and she had no time for holidays or men or children. Work and work alone.

"Clarke," Jerome sang, trying to get her attention but she seemed to be off in her own world. That didn't happen very often; she usually answered him if he called her. "Mara," he tried again, giving a strand of her black hair a gentle tug in case she didn't hear him again.

"Huh, what?" she looked up at him expectantly and took an instinctive step back when she noticed he was curly a strand of her hair around his finger.

His arm remained outstretched for a second, wondering why she had pulled away, but he let it fall to his side again. "Do we need to get anything else for the kids?"

"Um, no, I guess not." she shrugged.

Jerome's head cocked to the side in confusion. "Are you sure you're alright, love?"

"Yeah, why,"

He grabbed a box off the shelf across from them and held it up for her to see. "Maddy has wanted this for three weeks now. You promised her 'Santa' would bring it for her. Why haven't you picked it up yet?"

"I guess I just forgot," she waved it off, peaking at the cart full of toys.

"You never forget anything when it comes to our children." He stated, setting the box in the cart. "What's up?"

"Nothing," she shook her head and started to push the cart toward the front of the store so they could check out. "Shall we go?"

* * *

Jerome entered the bedroom and began to unbutton his shirt, but when he saw his wife sitting in front of the vanity brushing her hair, he suddenly stopped halfway down. He watched her silently, studying her every move.

She was counting how many strokes she did, and when she reached a hundred, she put the brush down and removed her pearls, placing them in her jewelry box. She stood up from the vanity chair and turned, eyes landing on him. She didn't smile when she saw him, she just looked around and then headed back to the bed, climbing in and laying down, nearly on the edge of the bed.

"Is there something wrong?" she wondered.

"No, I'm fine." He lied.

"Okay, good night—"

"Alright, what's up?" he snapped, his hands reaching up and dragging through his hair so he could grip the ends of the soft threads.

"What?" she said in shock, eyes wide.

"You would never let me say 'I'm fine'. You always know when I'm not fine. You would always try to make me happy, at least the 'you' that I knew. What happened?"

"I don't know what you mean."

Jerome's heart hurt. He took a deep breath and walked over to his side of the bed, but he didn't get in. He was still dressed, he needed to change first, but he had a feeling he'd be up all night doing something to keep his mind off what they were about to talk about.

"Is there someone else?" he asked quietly. He took a deep breath to control himself, he felt as if he would cry. If there was someone else, how long had their relationship been over? It hadn't seemed different the last few days, and now all of a sudden, she isn't acting like herself.

"No, why?"

"Because you're not acting like Mara Clarke—"

"Jaffray," she corrected impulsively, but she quickly tried to fix what she said as he angrily grabbed his pillow from the bed. "I mean, Clarke – I'm Mara Clarke."

"Are you sure?" he spat. This time, he felt his eyes water slightly. He headed for the bedroom door, whipping it open. "I'm sleeping on the couch."

"Jerome, wait—" she tried, but he shut the door quickly behind him. "Oh shoot." She muttered and dipped her head, wondering what she could do. She got out of the bed and walked over to the dresser. She opened her sock drawer and smiled when she found a diary. She knew she'd find it there. She opened it and began to read one of the latest entries.

_'Caleb made it onto the swim team for next year! Jerome was so proud of him. And Maddy got an award for her drawing as well; she was so happy! J hasn't mentioned our anniversary yet, but I know it'll be romantic. Jerome always surprises me when I least expect it. I can't wait for whatever he's going to do.'_

Mara noted that she had called him 'J' and that he was very romantic; he liked to surprise her.

_'I was right! Last night, he rented a boat and took me out on the river. He had lights hung up everywhere and champagne – it was perfect. I can't believe it's already been 14 years with him; I hope this never ends. But I have to go now, we're about to open presents!'_

Mara took a moment to sit back and think a moment. She had to fix this. She couldn't mess this up for him, her future or the kids, even if she didn't love him, she might love him in the future.

She put the diary back and tiptoed out of the room and down the stairs. Before she made it down to the first floor, she heard him talking. She peaked around the wall and observed him sitting on the sofa with their daughter on his lap.

"Why are you sleeping on the couch?" she asked, playing with the collar of his shirt.

"Your mum's sick; I don't want to catch it. I won't go to work and then I won't be home for Christmas." He shrugged.

"But last time mummy got sick, you stayed in bed with her to keep her warm to help her get better." Maddy reminded and Mara smiled, slightly surprised.

"This time's different." He said and brushed her fringe out of her brown eyes.

"Is she going to be okay?"

"Yeah, darling, she'll be alright."

"Are you and mummy getting a divorce?"

"No, baby, why would you think that?"

"Because you're acting funny."

Jerome took a deep breath, kissing her forehead. "We'll work it out; we always do. Go on up to bed, sugar pie."

Maddy giggled and hopped off his lap after kissing his cheek and ran past Mara and up the stairs.

Mara slipped into the room as he laid back on the couch and closed his eyes. The lights of the Christmas tree glowed on the side of his face and made him look even more handsome than he had been minutes before. She quietly rounded the sofa but before she could speak, he did first,

"You should know by now that I can sense your presence." He murmured.

Mara bit her lip and knelt beside the couch. "I had a feeling you'd say that."

A smile pulled at the corners of his lips.

"I'm sorry, J." she whispered.

Jerome opened his eyes and looked at her. "Are you sure you're not feeling well?" he reached for her hand and brought it to his face, laying it on his cheek.

Mara thought a moment before running her fingers down the side of his face and then back up to his hair, pushing his fringe up a little. His eyes closed again and he breathed out through his nose in content. She had a feeling that if he had such perfect hair, he wouldn't want it to get messed up.

"Truth is, I'm just a little stressed because of Christmas and…I'm kind of missing my mum."

"Why didn't you just say something?" he sighed, pushing himself up into a sitting position. "Because you've been so distant, Maddy thought you and I are getting divorced."

"I know, and I feel horrible. But I'm going to work harder to be better at being a…mum."

"Darling, you were already a perfect mother, you just need to start doing it again."

"Thank you," she mumbled, looking at her lap.

She felt his finger under her chin, turning her face toward him and he smiled. "There's that blush I can never get enough of."

She felt her cheeks heat up a little more and he kissed one and then the other. Before he could kiss her lips, she put a hand on his shoulder.

"How about a date night?" she suggested.

He froze, inches away from her and tilted his head to the side. "Date night?"

"Yeah, you know, rekindle the romance." She winked and he chuckled.

"Okay, where do you want to go?"

"Surprise me; like you did on our anniversary, just not the same thing." She sat beside him and he smiled at the contact when her hand moved down to his chest.

"I've said it once, and I'll say it twice; anything for you, my love." He smirked and then he gazed at her seriously. "I'm sorry too, you know. I didn't mean to snap, I just… We're okay, right?"

"Of course," she nodded. She stood up and his eyes followed her. Before she began to leave, she caught herself and turned back to him, leaning down and pressing her lips to his gently. When she pulled away, he tried to follow her so the kiss wouldn't break. She shook her head with a small smile on her face. "Are you coming upstairs?"

He opened his mouth to reply but the telephone interrupted. He sighed and stood up. He kissed her forehead. "I'll be there in a few minutes."

* * *

**Is everything making sense? Do I need to explain anything? **

**Review?**

**"And as I watch you disappear into the ground, my one mistake was that I never let you down. So I'll waste my time and I'll burn my mind on Miss Nothing. Miss Everything. **

**-Rachel**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you for the reviews! :) They make my day! Especially when I wake up to them! :3**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"I'm so sorry, I forgot to call you!" Joy exclaimed into the phone. "I brought the kids back and then I went home but I had to take Alex to the dentist and Haley to her dance class and Noah to his well-child appointment. And Fabes is working late, so I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Mara laughed.

"Are you feeling better?"

"Yeah, I think I just needed a little rest and once Jerome got home I felt better."

"I'm sure," Joy laughed. "So what are you two doing on your anniversary? An anniversary on Christmas Eve is always difficult, I know, but he always manages it somehow."

"I think he plans everything over the whole year." Mara sighed and put the phone down, switching on the speaker phone. She carefully finished wrapping another present and put it to the side, grabbing another toy. "I'm never sure what he's going to do. But we're going out tonight; it was my idea and I told him to surprise me, so I don't know what we'll end up doing."

"Knowing him, it'll be romantic." Joy commented. "I gotta go; I've got a casserole in the oven."

"Alright, bye," Mara ended the call. Her eyes darted to the clock. Noon. She had a few hours until the kids got back. Considering she had once calculated thousands of different numbers in day, she could wrap a few presents.

* * *

Once she had finished with the presents, she hid them all in places around the house that Jerome had pulled them out of. Noticing that the kids would soon be let out of school, she grabbed her coat and the keys to the van and hurried out the door. She found the school without a problem and saw Maddy running toward the van. She opened the side door and climbed in.

"Mummy, look, I got a 100% on my maths test!" she grinned proudly and held up the sheet of paper.

"Great job, sweetie,"

"I worked really hard! Daddy helped me."

"Well, this belongs on the fridge so daddy can see it when he gets home, right?" Mara smiled.

Caleb suddenly popped into the van, sitting in his seat next to his sister and shutting the sliding door.

"How was school?"

"It was alright," he replied, looking out the window.

Mara started the car and pulled out into the street, heading straight for the house. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah," he shot her a small smile and turned back to the window.

Mara knew immediately that something was up. But she didn't say anything. The rest of the car ride was just Maddy singing Christmas carols.

* * *

When they got back to the house, Mara unlocked the front door and Maddy bolted past her. She quickly put her maths test up on the refrigerator while Caleb silently trudged up the stairs to the second floor.

"I'm going to go do my homework. Let me know when dinner's ready." he mumbled and moment later, his bedroom door shut behind him.

Mara sighed, hanging up her coat, when the door opened and Jerome walked in.

"Hey, babe," he smiled closing the door behind him and walking up to her. He pecked her cheek and she took his briefcase as he shrugged out of his coat. He took the case from her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, leading her into the kitchen. "So, how is my beautiful—?"

"Daddy! Look!" Maddy called, pointing at her maths sheet.

Jerome stepped away from Mara and put his briefcase down, kneeling beside his daughter. He looked at the paper and then at Maddy. "100%? Are you kidding me? That's fantastic, darling; I knew you could do it!"

"Thank you for helping me." she said shyly and then she tugged on his shirt collar and he leaned closer to her. "But I think something is wrong with Caleb."

"What do you mean, love?"

"He was acting funny when I picked him up from school." Mara spoke up, sitting at the counter.

"What kinda funny? Like, sick funny?"

"No, he just seemed really upset."

"I'll talk to him." he said, climbing the steps and stopping at Caleb's door. He knocked gently and when he got no answer, he opened the door, poking his head in to look around the room. His son was seated at the desk across the room, reading from his science textbook. He stroked his forehead with his fingers, the same way Mara did when she was frustrated. "Hey, kid, what's up?"

"If I tell you, you'll be disappointed in me." he murmured, flicking his bangs out of his eyes.

"I won't be disappointed in you." Jerome said instantly, sitting on the edge of his bed. He leaned forward on his knees and raised his eyebrows expectantly.

"I'm sorry," Caleb handed him a couple pieces of paper that were stapled together and sunk back in his chair.

Written on the top of the first page in a thick red sharpie was _20%_. Jerome looked up at his son but he didn't meet his eyes, looking at anything but his father.

"Hey," Jerome said softly, pulling the rolling chair up to sit in front of him. "I'm not disappointed in you."

"You're not?"

"Did you study for this test?"

"Yes, sir,"

"Did you do your best?"

"Yes,"

"Then I'm not upset." Jerome shrugged. "I get it. I was horrible with science when I was growing up too. It would never stick with me."

"So you can't help me like you did with Maddy?"

"No, but your mum could." He nudged him gently. "She's fantastic with science. She wanted to be a doctor, you know."

"Why isn't she?" Caleb tilted his head to the side curiously.

"Well, the first problem was that her mother got really sick when she was going to medical school. So she dropped out so she could take care of her. And then, she didn't have any money do go back to school, so she began working at some company. She ended up getting caught up in it and didn't go back to being a doctor. But when she met me, she decided that she wanted to try again. So after one more year of working at the company, she quit and said that she was gonna head back to school. But wouldn't you know it, she got pregnant with you. We got married; we had you, and then your sister. And she decided to become a full time mum – giving up her dream of being a doctor."

"So me and Maddy stopped mum from doing what she wanted to do?" he asked guiltily.

"That's not what I said." Jerome shook his head. "Your mother and I love you and your sister more than anything. We'd give up everything for you two in a second. You should know that."

Caleb nodded.

"Okay, go ask your mum for help and don't worry about the grade. Do you have your overnight bag packed for Joy's?"

"Yeah, but why are we sleeping over?"

"Your mum and I are going out for dinner tonight and we don't know when we'll get back."

"Why can't we come?" Caleb whined, picking up his textbook.

Jerome laughed. "It's just us tonight, kiddo."

* * *

Jerome bit back a grin and held his wife's hand, tugging her forward. "Just a little farther, darling…"

"J, seriously, you're freaking me out." Mara mumbled, free hand twitching slightly. She wanted to take the blindfold off her eyes so she could see, but she restrained herself. She was very curious though; what had he been planning?

"Alright, we're here," he said, and removed the blindfold from her brown eyes.

"A wall," Mara acknowledged, nodding in confusion. What was before her was a short stone wall that looked over the river.

"Psh, a wall," he rolled his eyes and tugged on her hand again, helping her sit on the wall, and he sat next to her. "Wait for it." he whispered into her ear, arm slipping around her waist.

And a scream filled the sky as a rocket took off before a million stars exploded in the sky and Mara smiled. "Fireworks," she realized.

"I know it's not the most perfect thing, but I'm saving the best for our anniversary. Plus you only gave me like a day to pull this together." He scoffed in disbelief.

"Shut up," she laughed, shoving his shoulder.

He gave her a warning look. "Don't push me off." he hopped off the wall and landed five feet below and held his arms up to help her down. As he lifted her down, he looked up at her in awe. "You're just so beautiful." he murmured, kissing her cheek and letting her feet touch the ground, but he pushed her up against the wall.

"Jerome, we came for the fireworks. And we're in a park." She pushed on his shoulders gently and he nodded, leading her to the table for two that was set up next to the river.

They sat in silence, Mara watching the fireworks as Jerome poured some champagne and uncovered the dinner and lit the candles on the table. When he was finished, he sat back and gazed at her lovingly. When the fireworks show near its end, she looked over at him and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"What?"

"Nothing, I'm just amazed." He replied.

"By the fireworks?" she asked teasingly.

Jerome laughed. "No, I'm amazed that you seem to get more and more beautiful – since the first moment I saw you, you got more and more breathtaking every second I look at you."

"Tell me how we first met." She requested.

"You should know, you were there." He chuckled, picking up his glass of champagne.

"I know, I just like the way you tell it." she told him and he arched an eyebrow.

"Alright, that was a pretty good excuse, but I know that you just wanna hear my voice." He looked away smugly and then back at her, smiling widely and taking a sip from his glass.

She laughed and he looked at the water for second, gathering his memories.

He turned to her sharply. "It was a cold, dark night—"

"J," she raised her eyebrows.

"Alright, alright," he laughed and began again, "Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary—"

"Jerome Clarke," she scolded with a laugh.

"Mara Clarke," he retorted and sighed.

Mara felt butterflies swarm in her stomach.

"Okay, it was Christmas Eve and I was taking care of some last minute Christmas shopping, but I also wanted to buy myself something; an Edger Allen Poe book, the last one in my favorite bookstore. So I headed over there and when I looked in the window, double checking that it was there, I saw a tiny little girl grab it. And I got upset, I mean, she was touching my book. I wanted it. So I went up to her and tapped her on the shoulder, saying, 'that's my book, you know.' And there you were." He smiled. "I wasn't even paying attention to anything else, and I can promise you one thing – the minute I laid my eyes on you, I thought to myself, 'I'm going to marry her.'

"You handed the book to me and shyly ran out of the store. I didn't really do anything, but there was a purse on the floor, and I admit, I secretly prayed that it was yours so I could see you again. And it was. So I bought the book, had it wrapped and I ran outside. You were just about to head back in to get your purse. So I gave it to you and then I handed you the book. I said, 'Merry Christmas,' and you just kinda stared at me for a second. You seemed kinda surprised that I had been so nice to you. So I asked you if you wanted a coffee and you said yes and the rest of the night was just us, talking and getting to know each other.

"That was one of the best nights of my life." He stated.

Mara smiled and bit her bottom lip. "And what were some of the other best nights of your life?"

"The night you told me you were pregnant with Caleb. The night you said yes to marry me. The night Caleb was born. The night Maddy was born. The list can go on forever; those are just bullet points."

* * *

Jerome unlocked the front door, but before he opened it, he turned to her sharply and held up a small box. "I love you."

She took the box from him and opened it. Inside sat the most beautiful necklace she had ever seen; on a silver chain, hung an opal gem, bordered by diamonds and four sapphires. Her mouth dropped open and she lifted it out of the box, letting the opal shimmer in the street lamp.

"Here," he took it from her and stepped behind her. She lifted her hair off her shoulders so he could clip it back, around her neck. His hands landed on her shoulders and he pushed her arms down, sliding down to her hands, entwining their fingers. "Do you still love me?"

She let go of his hands and twisted around so her body faced him. She cupped the back of his neck, cold fingers slipping into the ends of his hair on the base of his neck. She pulled his head down and their lips met gently. Jerome wrapped his arm around her waist and pressed her into his chest, and with his free hand, he pushed the front door open. He backed her into the house, kicking the door shut behind them, sliding her coat of her shoulders. His was on the floor next and her arms wound around his neck as his lips left hers and planted butterfly kisses down her neck. He tugged on her shirt and she gasped.

"J," she whispered breathlessly as he pulled her shirt up and over her head. "The kids…"

"…are at Joy's until noon, tomorrow." He breathed into her ear and tangled his fingers in her silky hair.

* * *

Mara's eyes fluttered open and she squinted at the sunlight that fell in through the bedroom windows. She turned her head toward Jerome and saw him already looking at her.

"Good morning, gorgeous." He whispered, tenderly running his hand down her body over the crimson duvet. He leaned forward and kissed her jaw, trailing his nose over her cheek until he could kiss her lips.

"Hey," she murmured. She turned in his arms so she was lying on her back and he hovered over her. Her hands ran over his back and he shivered, feeling her gentle fingers dance around the scratches that she left the night before.

"I love you so much," he repeated what he had said the whole night. He pressed their foreheads together and she tilted her head upward, pecking his lips.

"I love you too." She uttered the four words he had prayed for her to say and he grinned.

"I know."

He kissed her again and then pushed himself off of her. "What about breakfast in bed? I'll go make some pancakes."

"Alright," she smiled and stretched as he left the room, pulling on a robe. She stared at the doorway for a second and whispered to herself, "How did I get so lucky?"

* * *

**Review? **

**Hey, I spy a new reviewer! Hai... :) Thank you, ebi pers! I'm glad you like it and I'm so glad they're in character- sometimes I get caught up in writing the plot and I forget that they're supposed to be in character. So I'm really happy they are. Thank you for the review! :D**

_**"When you told me, you didn't need me anymore, well you know I nearly broke down and died. Oh, darling, please believe me; I'll never let you down, oh no. Oh, believe when I tell you, I'll never do you no harm."**_

**-Rachel**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you for all the wonderful reviews! :***

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Joy set her purse on the counter and pressed her lips together. "Mara, I need a favor."

"What's up?" her best friend smiled and poured steaming water into two mugs for them.

"Okay, so Mrs. Haven broke her hip yesterday and can't produce the Christmas Eve school play Maddy and Haley are in. The kids worked so hard and they've been doing so well and they're all so cute! Since you have lots of intelligent when it comes to like, everything – I thought maybe you could do it."

"Oh, I don't know, Joy. It's a little late—"

"I already said you would." Joy mumbled shamefully.

"Joy!" Mara laughed in disbelief. She sighed and stirred her tea. "Okay, okay, I'll help out."

"So how was your date last night?" she wiggled her eyebrows suggestively and Mara covered her mouth when she almost laughed after sipping her tea. She shoved her friend's shoulder gently.

"Great, why…?"

"Just making sure you two are okay." she shrugged innocently, sipping from her cup.

"What did Maddy say to you?"

Joy huffed, setting her tea down on the counter. "She said that you and Jerome had a fight and that he was sleeping on the couch and you two were both acting funny… I don't know. I'm sorry. I know it's none of my business but you're my best friend and if he hurts you, he is a dead man—"

"Joy, calm down," Mara instructed. She laid a hand on her shoulder. "J and I are fine. We worked everything out; don't worry."

"I knew you guys would." Joy assured quickly. "You're perfect for each other. Sometimes I wish that Fabian and I loved each other the way you two do."

Mara gazed at her friend curiously but didn't say anything as her brown eyes flitted to a picture of Mara and Jerome.

* * *

"J, what kind of love do we have?" Mara asked suddenly. Jerome looked up from the papers he was looking over and took off his reading glasses.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, what kind of love do we have?"

"Like, how strong is it? How common is it? How unpredictable is it?" he wondered and she sighed hopelessly.

"Never mind, it was a stupid question anyway."

"No, seriously," he stood up and crossed the room, leaning against the counter. He looked down at her. "Um, our love is kind of uncommon, I guess. The love we have is strong and we would do anything to keep it alive, but it can also be jerked around and twisted with a single word or action. But the thing is about us is that we can't live one day without knowing the other is there, so we fix any problem we may have and try to prevent ever having problems." He ran a hand through his hair. "Is that what you wanted to hear, or should I try again?"

"No, that was perfect." She whispered, hugging his waist.

* * *

Mara giggled at the sight of the young boy in a fake beard. He held a staff, wearing a striped green and red robe. The children at the school were practicing the Christmas Eve play and because Mara was producing it, and suddenly directing it, she had to be there. Maddy was Mary in the First Christmas act. She was kneeling in front of a small manger with one of her classmates beside her as Joseph. On the corner of the stage were three angels, one of them was Joy's daughter, Haley. Haley looked exactly like Joy with long brown hair and big brown eyes.

Joy walked up to Mara and smiled brightly. "They're doing great aren't they?"

"It's adorable," Mara agreed.

"Everyone's going to love the play, but are you sure you'll be here? You still don't know what Jerome is doing so…"

"He knows when the play is, so I know he'll work around it."

"Hey, what do you think he's going to do? He won't do anything really big like last year, will he? Like, last year, he did that boat ride on the river. But the year before, it was just a picnic in the park under the stars."

"But it's always romantic somehow." Mara pointed out.

"Granted,"

"Mummy," Maddy called, running up to the women. Mara looked down at her and smiled. "Look what I made daddy for Christmas!" she proudly held up a picture of child's impersonation of _How the Grinch Stole Christmas_.

Joy and Mara giggled.

"That's great, baby; he'll love it."

"Do you think he'll hang it in his office?" she cocked her head and Mara nodded.

"Definitely,"

"What's that one in your bag?" Joy asked, reaching for it and Maddy jumped back quickly.

"That one's for mummy!" she hissed and ran off.

"We're leaving in twenty minutes!" Mara called after her.

* * *

Jerome switched off the bathroom light and climbed into bed, leaning against the headboard as Mara typed away on her laptop beside him. He smiled slightly. "Clarke," he said, trying to catch her attention.

"Hold on," she mumbled, eyes trained on the screen.

Jerome chuckled. "I haven't seen you this focused on something since the beginning of our relationship. Remember that?"

"One more second,"

"That's exactly what you said to me." he laughed.

"Done," she announced triumphantly and sat back. "This play is going to be fantastic – and adorable."

"The play is also not for another two days. And I'm right here."

"Oh, I'm sorry, J." she shut her laptop and turned to him fully, raising her dark eyebrows expectantly.

He smirked and remained unmoving, gazing at her. She pressed her lips together tightly and fingered the hem of her pajama shirt. His expression morphed into a slightly hesitant one and he grabbed her hand.

"Darling, if you had the chance to have a different life than this one, would you take it?" he brushed his thumb over her knuckles and Mara looked at him, but he wouldn't meet her eyes.

"No, I don't think so. I've never really thought about it, but this life is pretty darn good, if you ask me." she replied with a teasing smile.

Jerome grinned and leaned forward, waiting for a kiss and she gave it to him, quite willing.

* * *

**Review?**

**Tomorrow's Christmas Eve! AH! :D I'm sorry this chapter was a little late; I was doing some quick Christmas shopping with my mom. And I've also got a headache so that doesn't help.**

_**"From the bottom of my heart! Do the top of my voice! Let the spark in your eyes set the whole world on fire! Let's start a revolution (let's start a revolution)."**_

**-Rachel**


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you for the reviews! They make me so happy! **

**The last chapter will come tomorrow! :D**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"Christmas Eve, one of the busiest days of the year," Jerome yawned, stretching his arms above his head. He looked at Mara and sighed, scooting closer to her. He wrapped his arm around her from behind and rested his chin on her arm. "Hey, sweetheart,"

"Mm," she acknowledged him but her eyes remained shut.

He smiled and brushed her glossy hair back. He held her waist as his lips left butterfly kisses up her neck. When he reached her lips she was smiling and he pecked her once and she responded. "Are you tired?"

"No, I have to get up and make breakfast." she mumbled and forced herself into a seating position. She opened her eyes and met Jerome's immediately. He smiled at her and she ran her fingers through his hair to pull his bangs out of his magnificent orbs.

"Yeah, I know. We've got a lot to do today." He groaned, letting his forehead fall onto her chest.

She laughed and pushed his shoulders. "Come on, J."

He whined quietly and untangled himself from her and the bedspread. He stood up and reached for his robe, grabbing hers in the process. Slipping his over his shoulders, he held the second out for her to slip into. "You're gorgeous, baby." He whispered and kissed her hand.

"So are you," she teased and entered the bathroom.

"I know that." He grinned and ran a hand through his hair slowly.

* * *

"Mum," Caleb spoke up around the cinnamon roll in his mouth.

"Don't talk with your mouth full, kid." Jerome shook his son's hair.

"But you are." He pointed out accusingly.

His father blinked. "I'm the dad; I'm allowed to do anything I want."

"Mum," Caleb whined.

"Don't talk with your mouth full, boys." His mother scolded.

"Yes, ma'am," they replied and then laughed.

"Mum, what kind of cookies are we making this year for Santa?" Caleb questioned after swallowing. He took a sip from his glass of milk as she thought a moment.

"What kind do you want to do?" she answered.

"Chocolate chip," Maddy cheered.

"Original, Mads," Caleb scoffed. "I think we should do those half vanilla, half chocolate cookie."

"The black and white cookie? I love the black and white." Jerome laughed to himself.

"Yeah," he nodded.

"Two races of flavor living side by side." He quoted.

Mara laughed and turned to Caleb. "We can do both cookies."

"Alright," he nodded.

"So cookies after breakfast; showers after cookies; play after showers; and back home after the play, right, hubby?" she tilted her head to the side.

"That's right, wifey." He gave her a secretive smile and looked down at his cinnamon rolls.

She narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously but let it go.

* * *

Mara shrieked and shot Caleb a look, who turned his head and looked around innocently. "Caleb Clarke," she hissed and flicked flour in his direction.

"What did I just walk into?" Jerome exclaimed, entering the kitchen, a thin cloud of flour floating in the air.

"We had a bit of a problem with the flour." Mara explained.

"Caleb threw some at mum." Maddy revealed.

"Ah, I see. So everyone's okay then?" he nodded and turned to leave when flour hit the back of his head. He turned to glare at Caleb but he pointed at his mother.

"It was her."

Mara gasped in shock and Jerome raised his eyebrows knowingly.

"Oh really,"

"Jerome Clarke, don't you dare." She warned as he stalked toward her.

"Oh, I dare." He whispered and grabbed her by the waist, lifting her off the floor and flour was thrown across the room again; boys versus girls.

* * *

Mara pecked Maddy's cheek and her daughter laughed gleefully, shoulders rising as the hairdryer blew over her left ear.

"She's got ticklish ears, huh?" Jerome smirked from the doorway of the bathroom.

"Yep," Mara laughed, grabbing a brush off the counter and running it through her curly black locks.

"Just like her mother." He whispered in his wife's ear so Maddy wouldn't hear him and he blew on it gently.

Mara shivered, and turned to glare at him briefly and then looked back down at Maddy.

"When do you think you'll be done?" he asked. "I've got a shower to take too."

"I know; we'll be done in a minute." She promised.

He chuckled, leaving the room. "Now, where have I heard that one before?"

* * *

"Joy," Mara whispered, grabbing her friend's arm.

"What's wrong?" she asked worriedly.

"I've been thinking about what you said about your love with Fabian."

"Oh, don't listen to me. I mean we love each other, but we could get over each other if we didn't last—" she shrugged and tried to walk toward a group of children, but Mara pulled her back.

"No, you couldn't. You'd always love each other. I was really thinking this over. And you and Fabian were together, even before Jerome and I were. You two love each other no matter what. Even if you and Fabian weren't together, you'd love each other. Even if you two never met, you'd never be truly happy without each other. You're soul mates – I swear." She promised.

"You really think so?"

"You should know that by now." Mara laughed.

"I guess you're right. You're the perfect best friend, you know that?" Joy grinned and hugged her.

* * *

Mara sat beside Jerome and smiled excitedly. "Aren't you supposed to be backstage?" he whispered as the curtains opened.

"Maddy wanted me to see it out here." She replied and grabbed his hand as the play began.

"Mary, right," he asked and Mara nodded, biting her lip, trying to contain her excitement and pride.

* * *

"You were magnificent, kiddo!" Jerome exclaimed, grabbing Maddy as she ran up to them. She grinned happily and raised her arms to be lifted by her father.

"Thank you, daddy." She hugged his neck and looked down when Caleb tugged on her foot. Jerome set her down.

"Good job, Mads." He held up a bouquet of red roses and she gasped, hugging her brother's waist.

"Thank you, Caleb!"

"Yeah," he chuckled and looked away in embarrassment when he saw a group of girls from his school giggling and pointing at them. "Great, I'm never going to live this down."

"How do you think I got your mother, boy? Girls love sensitive guys. It's a fact." Jerome poked the inside of his cheek with the tip of his tongue and smirked when Caleb's blue eyes sparked with that new-found knowledge.

Caleb hummed in thought and wrapped his arm around his sister's shoulders hesitantly and Jerome laughed loudly, mussing up his hair.

"Are you messing with me?"

* * *

"Quietly," Mara murmured as Jerome wheeled a new bike for Caleb into the living room and beside the tree.

"I am being quiet." He said and stepped back. "There, I think that's it. Anything else?"

"Cookies and milk," she reminded and held up a black and white cookie for him while she took a chocolate chip.

"See, the trick to eating a black and white cookie is to get a little bit of black and a little bit of white in each bite." He explained, taking a bite of the cookie. "Nothing mixes better than vanilla and chocolate. And yet, racial peace still eludes us. Look to the cookie, Clarke; look to the cookie."

"_Seinfeld_," she whispered with an amused shake of her head.

"He's a comical genius, okay?" he defended himself.

"Oh, I know." She nodded.

Jerome stared at her blankly and took her half-finished cookie out of her hand. "No more cookies for you!"

"It wasn't a cookie Nazi – it was a soup Nazi." Mara corrected and took her cookie back.

He shrugged. "Close enough. I'm going up to bed. Coming?"

"I'll be there in a second."

* * *

Mara laughed softly, walking into the room. Sitting on the edge of the bed, Jerome grinned, setting his glass of wine on the bedside table.

"What took you so long, gorgeous?"

"Kissing Santa Claus under the mistletoe, what else?" she stuck her tongue out at him teasingly.

"On our 15th wedding anniversary?" he gasped. "How could you?"

"He's very forceful." She said honestly.

Jerome chuckled and shook his head, standing up and crossing the room to her. He rested one hand on her hip and took her hand in his, entwining their fingers. "Dance with me." he whispered and let go of her hip briefly to turn on some soft music.

Mara smiled, humming to the words of _Love Me Tender_.

"I'm a pretty romantic guy, huh? It's not a boat ride, but you love it."

"Yeah, I do." She nodded, squeezing his shoulder with her free hand.

"You know, I can promise you that even when we're ninety-five years old, I'll still dance with you in our bedroom."

"We'll last that long?" she smiled giddily.

"We'll last forever."

"Happily ever after." She added.

Jerome leaned down to kiss her and whispered, "Oh, much longer…"

* * *

**Review?**

_**"We're calling all, calling all satellites. This is a wake up call. A call for freedom. Is that the reason that we are alive? And we waste, we waste our lives on the wasted until there's nothing for us left to justify."**_

**-Rachel**


	6. Chapter 6

**I'm sorry this took so long! FF was down like, all day, so I couldn't log in to upload the chapter. Anyway...**

**Merry Christmas, everyone! :D**

**Thank you for the reviews!**

**Alright, the last chapter! **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Mara's eyebrows furrowed in confusion when she looked up and saw that it was nearly eight in the morning. She sat up and rubbed her eyes. Why hadn't Jerome waken her up? She turned to his side of the bed and instantly gasped in shock.

This was her old bed. These were her old pajamas. This was her old room. She didn't have a ring on her finger anymore. She jumped out of bed and dashed around the room, searching for a sign that she was in her other life; she pinched her arm to make sure she wasn't dreaming, but she wasn't dreaming. This was her life. She let her hand reach up to her neck and it lingered there where the necklace Jerome had gotten her should have been, but it wasn't.

She was Mara Jaffray again. Jerome and Caleb and Maddy were gone. What was she supposed to do now? Just continue with her life as if nothing had happened? No. She couldn't do that. She couldn't live without them now that she knew what she could have.

Sluggishly, she got dressed for work, putting on jeans and a blouse instead of a pantsuit. She left her hair down and wore no make-up. She walked into her kitchen and leant against the counter, resting her chin on her hand as she let her mind wonder briefly while she waited for her coffee.

"Willow," she whispered. She turned off her coffee machine and grabbed her coat. She texted Fabian quickly, requesting that he cover for her at work and jogged out of the apartment complex and to her car. She climbed in and pulled into the road. "Where would she be? The first time, she was in the middle of a road; and the last time, she was leaving a coffee shop. Both of those spots had been a few miles apart. She could be anywhere, or nowhere. How was Mara supposed to find her?

She gasped, slamming down on the breaks and jumping out of her car. "Willow! What is with you and jumping in front of my car?"

"It's a good way to get you to stop. You have very good reflexes." She complimented. "How was your journey?"

"It was fantastic! Please send me back." she pleaded.

"Why?" Willow asked, cocking her head.

"Willow," she moaned and ran her fingers through her hair. "You have to send me back. The kids need me; Jerome needs me – and I need them! Please, give me that life instead."

"Mara, I already told you, that life is the same as this one, you just need to meet Jerome and you shouldn't have too many problems leading to the life you want." She explained and stuffed her hands in the pockets of her white coat as a gust of wind swished past them.

"Meet Jerome, but how do I – Willow, what's today?" she questioned quickly.

"Christmas Eve Day!" she exclaimed excitedly. She clapped her hands together joyfully and Mara looked down with wide eyes.

"I can still have that life if I meet Jerome?"

"That's what I said." Willow nodded.

"Then it's not too late! Last minute Christmas shopping on Christmas Eve at the bookstore – my favorite bookstore, and the Poe book I want! Willow, I can still have that life!" Mara could have cried right then and there in happiness, but she just hugged Willow quickly and ran back to her car, thanking the ginger repeatedly.

* * *

Mara tapped her foot on the floor boredly. It was almost ten o'clock at night. She knew that the bookstore wouldn't close for another hour but Jerome hadn't shown up for two hours. The whole day she had done everything she could to pass the time. She had planned on getting to the bookstore before eight and wait for Jerome, but he still wasn't there.

She stood up and slung her purse over her shoulder, heading for the door. She shouldn't five up but she was beginning to think that this wasn't the right Christmas Eve, or she had missed him. Was this supposed to happen? How could she have—?

She halted in her tracks when he caught her attention through the store's window. She almost stopped stared, but she forced herself to move. She ran over to where the book was sat and put her purse on the floor next to the shelf. Jerome's description of when they first met rang in her head and she bit her lip, picking up the book and flipping it open. She heard the bells above the door ring as he quickly entered the store. She felt a tap on her shoulder.

"Sorry, but I kinda called dibs on that book…" he drifted off slightly when she turned around.

She had planned on faking her shyness, but she found herself at a loss for words when her brown eyes met his blue ones. They were still as beautiful as before and his hair was blonde and styled. His skin pale and his form tall and lanky, but toned. She immediately felt embarrassed and shoved the book into his hands, leaving the shop.

"Oh, how was I supposed to talk to him?" she mumbled, stroking her forehead. She only then realized that she had left her purse. She stopped short when she had turned back to the bookstore. It was happening the way it was meant to. And then there he was, walking out of the shop. He held out her purse and she smiled shyly, taking it and slinging it over her shoulder. He held out the wrapped book and she took it slowly.

"Merry Christmas," he smiled dashingly and she nearly melted right there.

"Merry Christmas," she laughed lightly, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear.

He was silent for a second before he jerked his thumb toward the all-night coffee shop across the street. "Fancy a coffee with a lonely hopeless romantic?" he grinned.

Mara felt butterflies erupt in her stomach and she nodded. "Yeah, I'd like that."

* * *

**Review?**

**I'm sorry if y'all expected this to go on for a while, but like I said in the summary, it was part of the 12 Days of Christmas. :) Next year, I'll be doing 12DoC again! So, if y'all wanna read anything specific, please PM or review! **

**I'll begin updating and posting new stuff after the New Year, alright? Alright! So I'll be absent for a few days. ;)**

_**"I wanna rock 'n roll all night and party every day. I wanna rock 'n roll all night and party every day. **** I wanna rock 'n roll all night and party every day."**_

**-Rachel**


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